Last week we got a glimpse of an answer and it was not nice. The outgoing US defence secretary, Robert Gates, berated Europe's "failure of political will" in not maintaining defence spending. He said Nato had declined into a "two-tier alliance" between those willing to wage war and those "who specialise in 'soft' humanitarian, development, peacekeeping and talking tasks". Peace, he implied, is for wimps. Real men buy bombs, and drop them.This call was echoed by Nato's chief, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who pointed out how unfair it was that US defence investment represented 75% of the Nato defence ...

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who are known for their staunch opposition to Turkey's membership in the European Union, have started to cause trouble for Ankara in NATO, too. The two are now opposing the possible appointment of a Turkish representative as a deputy secretary-general of the alliance on the basis that they were not consulted about the appointment beforehand.
NATO officials point to the need for US intervention if the dispute continues to grow. Turkey opposed the appointment of former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen as the next ...

Statement on Iran Nuclear agreementI warmly welcome the comprehensive landmark agreement reached today between Iran and the international community. I commend the parties for their perseverance. This agreement represents a historic breakthrough which, once fully implemented, will strengthen international security.

Central Asian and Afghan students discuss peace and security in TajikistanThe 11th Central Asian Regional Summer Diplomatic Course (Summer Academy) took place from 7 to 11 July in Romit, Tajikistan. This year’s theme, “Partnership for Peace: Common Interests and Challenges in Central Asia”, focused on socio-political developments in the region, possible future security scenarios, the role of international organisations and the benefits of partnership.

NATO Military Leadership sign up to support the UN HeForShe campaignDemonstrating their strong commitment to gender equality, the Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, General Petr Pavel, the Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security, Ambassador Marriët Schuurman, senior NATO military leadership and staff joined the United Nations Women’s HeForShe movement today in making a campaign video.

NATO Secretary General praises Slovenia’s role in the Western BalkansNATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Slovenia’s active engagement in the Western Balkans and its strong commitment to the Alliance’s collective security during his visit to Ljubljana on Monday (13 July 2015). At a joint press conference with Prime Minister Miro Cerar, Mr. Stoltenberg described Slovenia as “a valued Ally”, stressing that “Slovenia plays an important role in bringing the region closer to the rest of Europe and the transatlantic family”.